Edward thought he would never achieve his dream of becoming a doctor until he bought an old rundown house and it turned his life around.
Edward Mallow’s life did not turn out the way he wanted. When he was a teenager, he wanted to become a doctor to help people and cure them, but the death of his father when he was 17 put an end to this dream.
Edward’s mother fell ill soon after, and the money his father had left for his education was eaten up by medical bills. So he gave up his dream of becoming a doctor and became a veterinary nurse instead.
Edward had to admit that his life wasn’t so bad, because he had his mother and his job. He was not a doctor, but he relieved the suffering of the animals in his care and it was a form of satisfaction for him.
Edward also had a girlfriend, Zola, a pretty girl he had met in high school. But their relationship had deteriorated over the past few years, as Zola always blamed her for her lack of ambition.
“You’re 26 and you still live with your mother!”, Zola disdainfully exclaimed, “I thought you were serious about us, but you don’t even have your own apartment!”.
Edward grimaced. “Actually, he said, I intended to tell you about it, but you kinda spoiled the surprise!”
Edward’s father died when he was young and he had no money for medical school | Source: Unsplash
Zola jumps: “Are you moving?”
“I’m moving in,” Edward said. “There’s this old Victorian house that I’ve loved since I was a kid, and I heard the guy who inherited it wanted to get rid of it, so I made an offer! It’s a house which requires a lot of work.
“Did you buy it?” Zola asked excitedly. “Do you have your own apartment? Could we move in together?”
“Well, for the next 20 years, this is the home of the bank,” Edward said, smiling. “But yes, we can all move in together.”
Edward’s mother was sick and he had to take care of her | Source: Unsplash
Zola remained motionless. What do you mean “can we all move in together?” she asks.
“You, me, and my mother, of course,” Edward said.
“Are you kidding me ?” Zola shouted. “Do you want me to move into a ramshackle wreck with your MOTHER? I won’t, Edward. You choose. Me or her!”
Edward looked at him and his face was white as a sheet. “There’s no choice, is there?” he asks her softly.
Edward became a veterinary nurse | Source: Pexel
“Good!” said Zola with a triumphant smile. “Then let’s take a look at this house…”
“I’m afraid you misunderstood,” Edward said. “My mother is alone and sick. I would never leave her alone. We are done”.
The universe often finds a way to reward a good heart.
“Finished ?” cried Zola. “Look at you, mama’s boy! You’ll be wiping dogs’ butts for the rest of your life, and changing mama’s diapers! I’m the one who’s done with you, pathetic LOSER!”
A few weeks later, Edward started working on the house. He acknowledged that Zola was right in calling this house a “wreck,” but beneath all the dirt and neglect, he could see the house’s hidden beauty.
Edward borrowed money and bought the old house | Source: Pexel
He began cleaning up the many trash and bird’s nests that had accumulated inside the house and in the eaves. Beneath the dirt and grime was solid wood. He told himself that with a lot of work and a lick of paint, the problem would be solved.
His favorite room in the house was the stately Victorian drawing room with its high molded ceilings and carved woodwork. It was while scraping the old paint and shabby wallpaper in the living room that he made an incredible discovery.
A section of the paneling was different and when he hit it with his knuckles, he heard a hollow sound. Could there be rot behind the carved wood? Edward carefully pushed the carved panel and suddenly he heard a click, and the panel opened.
Behind it was darkness and the smell of must and dust. Edward went to get his torch and he let light into the hidden room for the first time in decades. The space behind the panel was tiny, but it contained a table and chair, and a few wine racks filled with bottles.
Zola, Edward’s girlfriend, called him a loser because he lived with his sick mother | Source: Pexel
Edward walked in and the dust swirled around his ankles. On top of the table was a bulky volume, and when he wiped it down, he saw an old-fashioned carpet bag. Next to it was a thick newspaper that someone had left open.
Beneath the dust on the page was a handwriting. Edward blew off the dust, and he began to read.
The last page of the diary read: “Roger One-eyed has turned me over to the feds, but he won’t have my hiding place. I hope whoever finds it will live a better life than me and do good to compensate for the harm that I did”. It was signed by Freddy the lame.
The rest of the diary was a kind of rough accounting of bootleg liquor bottles bought in Canada and sold in the United States. The entries start in 1925 and end in 1930, when the owner of the diary was presumably arrested by the FBI!
Edward was fixing the living room when he made an incredible discovery | Source: Pixabay
Edward had bought the house from a real Prohibition bootlegger! He turned his attention to the carpet bag and opened it. He was surprised to find that the bag was filled with neatly wrapped rolls of $100 bills!
Well, whatever harm lame Freddy may have done in his life, Edward has surely made up for it. With Freddy’s money, he refurbished the house and moved in with his mother.
He was finally able to enroll in medical school, but not only. He opened a free animal clinic for underprivileged children who could not afford the high fees of regular veterinarians. He hired two vets who worked there.
Zola quickly heard about Edward’s new life and she immediately dropped by to see her “in remembrance of the good old days”, but Edward quickly put her in her place. “Listen, Zola,” he said before she could open her mouth.
In the bag, Edward found enough money to make his dreams come true | Source: Pexel
“Forget it. I’m now dating a loser like me who believes in love and family values, not money.”
Edward ended up marrying the nice girl he had met after breaking up with Zola. During their honeymoon, they adopted the ugliest cat either of them had ever seen. Since the cat only had three legs, Edward named it Lame Freddy; he started thinking very seriously about reincarnation!
What can we learn from this story?
- No matter what, our family always comes first. Edward loved Zola, but he refused to abandon his sick mother as she had asked.
- The universe often finds a way to reward a good heart. Edward’s life was transformed when he found the smuggler’s hideout and became rich, but he remained the same simple, loving man.
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A poor man buys an old ruined house and finds a room hidden behind a false wall — Story of the day
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